In theory, I suppose, your favorite month should be the one you were born in. However, while I was born in May (a fine month to be sure), I’ve always put the month of October at the vry top of my list.

October arrived once again last Friday and I welcomed it back with open arms. There will always be something special about October, to me at least. It means fall has returned once again. It means more comfortable temperatures. It means a renewed sense of life and being. It means Halloween. It conjurs up childhood memories of being in the homestretch until Christmas.

This year it seems I’ve needed my favorite month more than most. It felt good to flip the several calendars I have at home and in the office to the tenth month of the year. I know it’s all mental, but the sky seems bluer now. The air seems cleaner and there is a definite touch of all fall in the air after another brutal summer.

Fall is also my favorite season and October is the month which kick starts it for me. It’s usually still too hot in September and it seems as if summer was not going to let go of its grip this time around. However, the arrival of October usually does the trick and that has been no exception this time around.

Even brief drives around town are more enjoyable on the eyes as people have fall decorations at their homes and businesses. Hopefully, the next couple of months will also help replenish the mind and body. Fall, and especially the month of October, seem to have that magical power.

As a child, I recall attending fall festivals held at my school and enjoying even more time with my friends. Those were great times and while they are but an aging memory in my rearview mirror now, I try to keep those times as new as if they happened last week.

Fall and October also mean we are knee deep into another football season. The “boys of fall,” whether at the high school, college or pro level will always have a fan in yours truly. On the high school fields, it’s time to make a push for the postseason. College football will always be a Saturday tradition for me and I usually watch games from noon to well past the witching hour.

I grow up a Falcons fan and I hope in 2010 they can return to the playoffs. I know the pro game is not for everyone but football on Sunday afternoon is something that is required for me.

On a lighter side, the arrival of October and fall once more signifies the end to outdoor chores such as keeping the yard mowed and certainly I am thankful for that. For a few months anyway, I won’t have to try and squeeze that chore into my already packed week.

So here’s to football, fall festivals, hayrides, corn mazes and crisp, cool air that greets you when you leave for work in the morning. I wasn’t sure we would make it again, but somehow October and fall seem to find us each year at this time.

The football games I attend will seem to have a little more meaning and even the temperature will be just right. Fall and football will always be a perfect combination.

So while May will always occupy the No. 2 spot on my list of favorite months, the section of calendar which still holds the top position has arrived. I’m thankful October has a full 31 days to enjoy as I know I will always treasure each one of them.

I hope the arrival of October and fall mean as much to you as it does to me. Quite frankly, it wouldn’t be the same without them. They are a couple of those smaller things in life which make it worthwhile. Welcome back old friends.

Chris Bridges is editor of the Barrow Journal, a sister publication of The Banks County News. He can be reached at cbridges@barrowjournal.com.

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